


Rebirth

by zinny



Series: Redemption [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Addiction, Albus Dumbledore Critical, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, BAMF Women, Book 1: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Canon Rewrite, Gen, Golden Quartet is the new Golden Trio, Good Draco Malfoy, Gryffindor Draco Malfoy, Hand Waving Magic, Harry is a Good Friend, Hermione Granger is a Good Friend, Insomnia, Mentor Severus Snape, Morally Ambiguous Character, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Present Tense, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Slow Burn, Survivor Guilt, Temporary Character Death, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-30 11:32:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13950684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zinny/pseuds/zinny
Summary: Something goes wrong after Dumbledore’s death. Draco Malfoy should have died. The killing curse hit him straight in the heart. Yet here he is, living, breathing and back in 1991.





	1. Guilt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, hey. Look who’s back. 
> 
> Ask and you shall receive. So, here’s the deal. Many things have changed. If you’ve read my [Redemption](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11007513/chapters/24523353) series, things are **not** the same. I’ve cleaned up a lot of things and added more. I will not be brushing away any of the struggles and heavier themes (read the tags above) I feel like I did Draco injustice so this is my chance to fix it. 
> 
> If you have any questions, feel free to drop a line in the comments. 
> 
> Hugs,  
> Zinnia

The air around the castle was dense like the tension developing through every bone in his body. Screams were heard as the Dark Lord’s reign continued. Draco crept inside the castle, feet light under the flooring and his wand tightly in his grasp. Both Blaise and Pansy trod behind him, wands drawn and hexes in the tip of their tongues in case they are ambushed. 

“I hate this,” Pansy whispered, her eyes shifting around the vestibule. “Are we almost there?” 

“Almost,” Draco answered. He didn’t turn, his gaze strictly in front of him. His shoulders were stiff and his jaw was clenched as they continued to move through the halls. 

Even with the moonlight shimmering under the looming darkness of the night, it gave nothing but a melancholic ambiance. The air was acidic, bitter and sharp — a fetor of metal intertwining in the ether. With every minute passing, the shadows grew larger and wider, casting an everlasting dejected tenor in the once blithe citadel. 

The trio stopped in front of the Headmaster’s office. Once inside, Blaise barricaded the doors and stood by it. 

“I’ll keep guard. Get what you need and let’s go.” Blaise spoke, his face pale with a bruise forming under his eye. 

The pair nodded and made their way over to the large desk. Draco wandered around the office, eyesight flickering over everything with a newfound emotion of guilt before he stopped in front of the table. With shaking hands, he flipped through the paperwork and opened every drawer. Pansy, who was to his right, doing the same. What they were looking for wasn’t here and it frustrated him. Just as he was about to give up, he noticed one drawer was left untouched. 

“Did you try opening this one?” He questioned, looking up at Pansy who turned to him with furrowed brows. 

Pansy shook her head, “no.” She reached over and pulled on it but the drawer didn’t budge. Taking her wand out, she tried another approach. “Alohomora!” 

But still, the drawer didn’t open. Draco tried pulling it once more before sighing and pointing the wand at the desk and looking over his shoulder. “Pans, you might want to move.” Pansy tensed before nodding, she stepped back and hid behind one of the bookcases. Draco turned back to the task at hand. “Expulso!”

A blue mist blasted through the tip of the wand, hitting the drawer. The detonation was powerful enough that it not only opened the drawer but exploded half of the desk off. The wooden counter was covered in soot and smog. Blaise coughed slightly, throwing him a glare. Draco shrugged and tugged on the drawer, hissing as the heat from the eruption burned his palm, leaving an angry red singe on his skin. Pansy came around and stood by him, her silent form of support. They both held their breath as they caught glimpse of the device inside the compartment. 

With a shaky breath in, Draco grabbed the device, his fingers gently grasping on the golden chain. He slowly pulled it out, feeling the heavy gazes from both Pansy and Blaise on him as he finally had the Time-Turner in his possession. Draco bit his lip, gripping the device gently between his fingers, looking over at his two friends. 

“You think it’ll work?” Pansy murmured, her eyes wide with a mixture of apprehension and hope. 

“It has to.” Draco breathed, clutching the Time-Turner tightly before putting the chain around his neck, hiding the utensil under his shirt; the cold metal pressing right above his heart. He adjusted his black blazer over his shirt and nodded. “Let’s get out of here.” 

The trio left the office and rounded the corner. The three weren’t actively part of the Death Eaters and their regnant over the castle. Once Dumbledore was killed, Draco was taken back to Malfoy Manor, he was so shaken he called over Pansy and Blaise who risked their lives just to be with him. In the end, the three agreed that this was going too far. Sure, blood purity is something that was engraved into their minds since they were able to understand it but seeing their previous headmaster dead and the Dark Mark in the sky was a quick reality check. 

Knowing the Dark Lord wanted nothing more than to get his grubby hands on the Elder Wand, Draco kept it hidden in his person and escaped the manor with his two friends. Their plan was to get the Time-Turner from Dumbledore’s office, knowing it only takes you back a few hours but that’s exactly what they need. Just a few hours to stop Dumbledore’s death and make sure Draco doesn’t let the Death Eaters into the castle. 

And now here they are, trying to avoid confrontation as they find a way out of the campus grounds to apparate back to Pansy’s place; where they can take the next step of their plan without the fear of being caught. 

As they were about to exit the castle, they tensed when they noticed someone stepping out from the shadows. It was Crabbe. He was wearing all black, a wand in hand and a cold expression on his face. 

“Where are you going?” He questioned, taking a few steps closer, making the trio step back. He raised an eyebrow at their actions, his wand twirling between his fingers on his right hand. “Well?” 

Pansy stepped forward, “we’re leaving.” She squared her shoulders, sneer evident on her face even with the heavy darkness in the hall. “So I suggest you move.” 

“Pansy.” Blaise hissed, his eyebrows furrowed as he grips his wand tightly. 

Crabbe’s eyes danced in malicious mirth, “is that so?” He turned to Draco. “Shouldn’t you be in the manor with your parents?”

“Shouldn’t you be there, too?” Draco retaliated, holding his ground. 

The sound of footsteps neared, Draco swallowed the lump forming in his throat before licking his dry lips. Blaise looked behind his shoulder, a bead of sweat running down his forehead as he turned back to Crabbe who was still blocking their way out. Pansy’s eyesight was locked on Crabbe, her fingers twitched in anticipation to hex the bastard so they could escape. 

Before any of the four could do anything, a howl was heard from outside the castle. The sound temporarily distracted Crabbe, who turned to see where it was coming from. Pansy took advantage and raised her wand. 

“Flipendo!” A bright blue mist hit Crabbe right on his back, the knockback jinx throwing him back against the wall. The force was strong enough that the wall trembled, causing rubble from the ceiling to descend around his fallen body. Pansy turned to her friends, “let’s go!” 

The three ran past Crabbe’s body and out of the castle, the sound of voices and footsteps grew louder as the door closed behind them. The air was frigid over Draco’s skin but he continued to run. Pansy was running in front of him and Blaise behind him, they both looked just as determined to escape as he did. Draco could almost taste freedom.

Just as they were about to reach the area where the anti-apparition jinx ends, a green light flashed behind them. 

“Avada Kedavra!” 

It was almost like slow motion as the green flash flew past Blaise and Draco and headed directly towards Pansy’s direction. She turned, her face morphing from confusion to betrayal as her eyes widen and her mouth opened slightly. Draco and Blaise ran to her but it was too late. The spell hit her right between her eyes, the momentum of the spell harshly rammed her limp body into one of the nearby trees in the Forbidden Forest. 

“Pansy!” Both Draco and Blaise called out as they sprinted to her fallen body. 

Draco felt his blood run cold once he got one look at Pansy’s face. Her eyes were open, the dark irises were lifeless and gelid. He turned to see Blaise getting on his knees next to her, his fingers trembled as he cradled Pansy’s face in his hands. Angry tears glided down Draco’s cheeks as he turned to the assailant. 

Fury burned in his bones as he watched Crabbe step closer, a reluctant Goyle behind him with three other hooded figures. 

“You bastard!” Draco hissed, switching his wand for the Elder Wand. “She was your friend!” 

Goyle’s faced morphed into remorse but Crabbe’s expression was stoic. He flickered his gaze from Draco to Pansy’s body. “There is no such thing as friends.” With that, he raised his wand. “Crucio!” 

Draco didn’t even get a chance to blink as he was shoved into the ground which led the spell to miss him. He turned, Blaise was on the grass with him. They shared a look before nodding and retaliating. The two used spell after spell, working together against two former friends and three Death Eaters. Blaise managed to use a full-body bind on Goyle and two Death Eaters while Draco used stunner on the last Death Eater; leaving Crabbe alone against the two of them. 

“You were always shit at dueling.” Blaise taunted. 

Crabbe wheezed slightly before his frown turned into an ugly sharp smile. “Yeah? Wasn’t so bad when I hit Pansy.” Before either could say anything, he raised his wand once more. “Avada Kedavra!” 

The spell was directed at Draco. He was busy attempting to catch his own breath that he wasn’t able to react in time. All he saw was Crabbe a few feet away from him with his wand raised before a green mist of light filled his eyesight. 

This was it. 

This is how it ends. 

A vision of faces flickered in his mind; his mother and father, Pansy and Blaise, Severus and Dumbledore — even Harry Potter. His mind wandered back to the first day he tried befriending Potter and how he rejected him. Regret filled Draco as he recalled where all those continues mistakes lead him. This is the path he chose, he was going to die at the hands of a friend and if that isn’t karma, he doesn’t know what is. 

Just as the spell hit Draco in the chest, right over the Time-Turner, he felt an extra body weight on his own. He turned to see Blaise wrapping his arms around him, his face full of terror as he tackled him to the floor but Blaise wasn’t quick enough. 

The two stiffened as time stopped and their bodies froze in midair. Draco looked down at his chest, a golden mist illuminated from underneath his shirt before it grew bigger and surrounded both of their bodies. The golden haze increased and became turbulent as it swirled in the air around them. Terror filled Draco’s veins as everything around him disintegrated in front of his eyes and he fell into the deep darkness with open arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, the MCD tag is only for this chapter.


	2. Doubt

Hot. 

His skin was hot. The air was hot. _He_ was hot. 

There was a burning inferno underneath his skin. Everything felt compressed, from his internal organs to his cerebrum. He could distinguish a faint yellow hue from underneath his eyelids, it was bright and eerily soothing. It eased the discomfort in his jaded bones and blistering epidermis. 

Draco felt a light breeze in the air, it was melodic as it ghosted over his skin in timid caresses. He wondered if this was the afterlife. Was he dead? Did Blaise survive? Did he finish what they started? Something in the back of his mind thumped inside his head, reminding him that Blaise met the same denouement as him. 

The soothing light morphed into the memory of Pansy’s cold and lifeless body in the Forbidden Forest. The way her eyes stared back at him in a manner that sent shivers down his spine. He felt his breath hitch at the backlash that would come once Crabbe announced his betrayal to the Dark Lord. His poor mother would suffer because of his disloyalty. 

“Draco.” 

His name resonated through his eardrums like a verbalized lullaby. The voice was familiar. He watched as the image of Pansy’s body was replaced with flowers; Daffodils in the grass. The sun hovering over them and the wind gently swaying them from left to right in a hypnotic motion. 

“Draco.” 

That voice. It was calling him. He wanted to reach for it but he didn’t know where it was coming from. Out of desperation, Draco outstretched his hand towards the Daffodils. 

“Draco.” 

Once the flower was in his hand, he focused on the voice and opened his eyes. 

He blinked the exhaustion away from his eyelids, squinting as a bright light from his peripheral vision unsettled him. Draco observed as a familiar face came into view. His mother stood above him, her pale face seemed younger than the last time he saw her. Narcissa’s hair was braided back in a neat bun on her head, she wore a small smile on her face. 

“Draco?” She was the voice of his subconscious. Familiar, soothing, comfort. “Are you okay, darling?” 

“I-I…” Draco cleared his throat. “I’m fine.” 

Something was off. His voice was much higher than before, he looked around and noticed he was in his bedroom in the manor. The thing that surprised him the most was the colors of the area. His usual mint walls were now stark white like how he had them before he started Hogwarts. A creeping realization crawled through his mind as he sent his mother a faux smile. 

“I’m fine, Mum.” 

Narcissa raised an eyebrow, locking her gaze with his as she watched him with an intensity that made him want to shift awkwardly. Eventually, she nodded curtly. “If you say so, darling… Breakfast should be ready soon.” With that, she bent down to kiss his cheek, a wry smile on her face before she stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her. 

As soon as the door closed behind his mother, Draco jumped out of bed and locked the bedroom door. He made his way over to the master bathroom and stopped in front of the full-length mirror across the tub. His eyes widen at his reflection. 

A bead of sweat glided down his forehead as he stepped back abruptly, almost losing his balance at the sudden action. There, he stood in his eleven-year-old body. Draco raised a hand and ran his fingers through his wispy blond hair all while his wide grey eyes stared right back at him in the mirror. He felt his fingers tremble as he reached over to his face, tracing his fingers over his forehead, above his cheekbones and down to his chin. 

He was here. 

Why was he back here? 

Was it all a dream? 

Before he could have a full out panic attack, Draco felt a flare of pain in his chest. He extended his hand over to his pajama top and unbuttoned the shirt. Once the shirt was off, he fell to his knees at what he saw. Above his heart was a scar singed into his skin. The shape was of an hourglass, like the Time-Turner. He swallowed the lump in his throat, his fingers traced the blemish with delicacy as he gasped in between breaths. 

It was a proof and a reminder of what can or _will_ come if he repeats his mistakes. 

He placed his face in his hands and bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from screaming. Tears ran down his cheeks and his body shuddered, his knees trembled under the pressure of his awkward position and the stiffness of the tile flooring. 

Time passed slowly, Draco felt his body ache at the position he was in. With a deep breath in, he raised his head and winced at the blinding lights in the room. Draco got on his feet, he looked at himself in the mirror once more to verify what he saw before making his way to the bathroom sink and splashing some cold water on his face. 

His shoulders drooped, body hunched over the sink as he whispered to himself. “You’ve got this.” With one last sigh, Draco nodded and stepped back, avoiding his reflection on any reflective surface as he started his shower and followed his morning routine.

✵彡 ✵彡 ✵彡

Dressed and set, Draco sat in the dining room. The room felt much inviting than it did before the Dark Lord’s reign. The chandelier illuminated the walls with a rainbow glare from the Swarovski diamonds that decorate the ornament. A teacup in front of him, scones in the middle and his mother adjacent to him. Narcissa seemed lighter; her hair immaculate over her shoulders as the ends curl into tight coils, her lips a ruby red shade, and her cheekbones glistening like the diamonds around her neck. Beautiful, young, and _innocuous_.

“Draco, dear. Are you sure you’re okay?” Narcissa’s eyebrows were furrowed, though her face remained passive. She held a spoon on her right hand, two sugar cubes on the utensil. “You’ve been awfully quiet. I’d assume you would be more enthusiastic about tomorrow.” 

“Tomorrow?” He inquired, inwardly cringing at his voice. 

This time, Narcissa frowned. Draco hated that expression on his mother’s face. It reminded him of every time Lucius brought up the Dark Lord and his mother would recoil but remain tight-lipped. 

“We’re getting your supplies tomorrow.” She placed her spoon down and reached for his hand. “You look awfully weary, darling. Perhaps you should go back to sleep?”

Draco shook his head, he looked down at his mother’s hand. With cautious movements, he placed his hand over hers, fingers ghosting over her pale skin before rubbing his thumb over her wrist; her pulse thumping against the subtle complexion. 

“I’m okay, mother. I’m just a bit… peckish.” He licked his dry lips. “May I go see Blaise today? I feel as though I haven’t visited him much.” Asking permission was something he stopped doing after a while, returning to an age where he has to ask for almost everything will definitely be something that needs getting used to. But before he starts attempting to settle in, he needs to see Blaise, he needs to check on Pansy, he needs _answers_. 

“Blaise Zabini? Hm…” Narcissa looks at him, an unreadable expression on her face. “Sure, darling. You can go now. Be back before lunch. Your father will be here.” 

With a terse nod and smile, Draco thanked his mother and quickly stepped out of the room. His eyes flickered around the hallway, memories flowing through his mind as he took in every crook and corner of the manor. He stopped in front of the fireplace, the green flames flickering in invitation. Draco reached over for the floo powder, shoulders tense as he called out Blaise’s address and stepped into the flames. 

In a matter of seconds, he was walking into a familiar living room. There was a shuffle of feet heard from his right side. Draco turned and met dark brown — familiar — eyes. 

“Draco.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No updating schedule. I write whenever I get inspiration. ◕ ◡ ◕


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